The Health and Wellbeing Board of Devon Council met on Thursday 16 April 2026 to discuss a range of important public health matters. Key topics included the development of a new dementia strategy for Devon, plans to prevent suicide across the county, and initiatives to create a smoke-free South West. The Board was also scheduled to receive updates on the Better Care Fund and the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

Devon Dementia Strategy

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to discussing the proposed Devon Dementia Strategy for April 2026 to March 2029. This strategy aims to improve the quality of life for individuals affected by dementia and their carers across Devon. It outlines a proactive plan to raise awareness, ensure timely diagnosis and access to support services, enhance care quality, support families and caregivers, foster dementia-inclusive communities, and provide personalised end-of-life care. The strategy is built around the Well Pathway for Dementia, focusing on five key areas: preventing dementia, diagnosing it effectively, supporting those affected, enabling them to live well, and ensuring they die well. The report highlighted that dementia prevalence in Devon is projected to rise by 58% between 2025 and 2045, with an estimated 37,093 people living with dementia by 2040. The strategy includes specific actions for each of the five well areas, such as increasing awareness through targeted campaigns, encouraging NHS Health Checks, reducing the use of high-risk medications, and supporting dementia research. For diagnosis, the plan aims to meet the NHS national target for Dementia Diagnostic Rate (DDR) of 66.7% and reduce waiting times to 12 weeks. Support well initiatives include promoting person-centred care, prioritising non-drug treatments, and embedding the principles of John's Campaign across all care settings. The Living well aspect focuses on making Devon a WHO age-friendly community and recognising unpaid carers. Finally, the Dying well section aims to ensure people with dementia can prepare for the end of life and receive care aligned with their wishes.

One Devon Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan

The Board was asked to review and ratify the One Devon Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan for 2026-2031. This plan has been co-developed by system partners and aligns with the national Suicide Prevention Strategy for England. It aims to coordinate multi-agency actions to reduce suicides across Devon, Plymouth, and Torbay. The plan is structured around six priority areas from the national strategy: creating safe spaces, strengthening people's resilience, reducing suicide risk among specific groups, providing support for those bereaved by suicide, restricting access to means, and improving support after a crisis. The report noted that Devon has a suicide rate of 13.5 per 100,000 population, which is statistically higher than the England rate of 10.9 per 100,000. The plan emphasises overarching principles of localised delivery within a system-wide framework, collaborative working, meaningful involvement of people with lived experience, equity and inclusion, and evidence-informed practice.

DCC Suicide Prevention Update

An update was provided on the Public Health Devon suicide prevention programme activity since July 2025. This included a well-received awareness session for the VCSE Assembly and the launch of a new 'mental health safety plan' z-card resource for Devon, Plymouth, and Torbay. The procurement of mental wellbeing and suicide prevention training, including Connect 5, Youth Connect 5, and Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), has been completed. The report highlighted that the most recent suicide topic overview for 2022-24 shows Devon's suicide rate remains statistically higher than the England rate, with Exeter and Mid Devon having the highest district rates.

Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy Implementation

The Board was asked to approve the approach for implementing the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy, 2026-2035. This strategy, adopted in January 2026, is underpinned by four CORE principles: Caring for people and places, Opportunities for all, Roots for Life, and Engage and Empower. It focuses on four priority themes: Mental Health and Wellbeing, Start Well, Live Well, Housing, and Rural Areas and Access to Services. The implementation plan involves identifying facilitators and Board Member Champions for each priority theme, mapping the partnership landscape, developing action plans, and creating a scorecard to monitor progress.

South West Smoke Free Charter

The Board was requested to endorse and sign the South West Smoke-Free Charter as a demonstration of organisational commitment to tobacco control. Tobacco use remains a leading cause of preventable illness and death, with an estimated 2,934 deaths annually in Devon and a cost of £600 million per year. The current smoking prevalence in Devon is 11.8%, with a regional target of 5% by 2030. The Charter aligns with the South West Tobacco Control and Smoking Cessation Strategic Framework and the WHO MPOWER principles. The Smokefree Devon Alliance has reported significant progress, including record demand for specialist support, expansion of services in Torbay, and the mobilisation of the Smokefree Generation programme. The report highlighted the successful tri-locality roll-out of a shared Smoke Free app and strengthened maternity pathways.

Better Care Fund Update

An update was provided on the Better Care Fund (BCF) 2025/26 Q3 report. The BCF is a mandatory policy initiative to support the integration of health and social care services. The report indicated that Devon is on track to meet its targets for reducing emergency admissions and discharge delays. However, it is not on track to meet its target for long-term admissions to care homes, with ongoing work to address this. The report detailed the BCF budget for 2025/26, which totals £134.299 million, and outlined the spend against various schemes, including assistive technologies, discharge support, and intermediate care services. Mitigating actions for overspend in the Community Equipment Service were also detailed.

NHS Devon Update

An update from NHS Devon was scheduled to be provided verbally.

Scrutiny Work Programme and Forward Plan

The Board was also scheduled to review the Council's Scrutiny Work Programme to prevent duplication and to review and agree the Board's Forward Plan, which outlines future meeting dates and topics.